Early Diagnosis Promises Bright Future for San Antonio Attorney

David Guard had only been in San Antonio for several weeks, having moved from St. Louis, Missouri to accept a position as an attorney at a local company. He had just closed on a new home and was awaiting the arrival of his wife and daughter, a high school senior who wanted to finish her last summer before college in familiar surroundings. His family’s plans changed, though, the minute Guard was diagnosed with colon cancer.

“Three days after I was diagnosed, I was in surgery,” Guard recalls. “I was in shock. I thought, ‘I’m too young. This happens to other people.'”

Guard, 48 at the time, awoke in his small apartment several days before to a severe pain in his stomach. At work, his colleagues encouraged him to see a physician immediately. Following a CT scan, his physician recommended a colonoscopy from Dr. Delbert L. Chumley of Gastroenterology Consultants of San Antonio and president of the American College of Gastroenterology.

“Dr. Chumley had a graceful way of telling me I had cancer, while helping me understand the severity of the situation. As I listened, I realized everything had changed. I was in a city I had never been to, with a new job, all alone, and my only child graduating high school far away. Those were changes I had chosen. Colon cancer was not.”

Dr. Chumley recommended immediate surgery, followed by chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Guard’s wife, Beth, quit her job in St. Louis early and moved to San Antonio with their daughter to help Guard deal with the fatigue, nausea and neuropathy -a tingling in the extremities–that Guard would face.

“David was surprised, as I was, to learn that this relatively small, otherwise benign appearing polyp was malignant,” Dr. Chumley says. “After the shock wore off, he came to realize how truly lucky he was to have had this problem identified early. He didn’t get cheated in life and has been able to fulfill many of his dreams and aspirations due in part to just having a screening colonoscopy.”

Guard has made it his personal mission to encourage colon screening among his family and friends. “I have persuaded all my siblings, my mother, and my coworkers to get screened. Most of my colleagues have returned to work the same day. It’s that unimpactful. If I had known I could have been screened earlier, I would have been the first in line. A few hours of inconvenience the night before the colonoscopy can make up for months of sickness and a life-changing diagnosis.”

Guard will soon begin radiation therapy to kill the remaining cancer in his colon and lymph nodes. He has been able to continue working thanks to the accommodation provided by the company he works for, which provided him with a parking spot next to his office and moved meetings so Guard wouldn’t need to walk to other locations.

The main change in Guard’s life since his diagnosis has been his philosophy about enjoying life. “Yesterday, my wife and I just packed up and headed to the beach. Before colon cancer, we would have planned and figured it all out beforehand, but we are learning to not put off what we can enjoy now.” Guard also continues to cherish his relationship with his daughter, who is now a freshman at Dartmouth.

Guard encourages others to increase their awareness and to simply be screened. “It’s no big deal,” he promises. “The benefits far outweigh the slight inconvenience of being screened.”

Guard hopes to be able to attend the 2nd Annual Get Your Rear in Gear 5K & 10K on Sunday, March 27. The run/walk is part of Colon Cancer Awareness Month, which takes place this March. To register for the run/walk, click here. To set up an appointment to be screened, call 614-1234.

Holly Coyle believes that, in medicine, open lines of communication are crucial. As a writer for Gastroenterology Consultants of San Antonio, she serves as a link between doctors and patients and writes health stories in order to empower readers. Holly has a master's degree in journalism from Northwestern University. She also studied at the University of Texas at Austin and was a broadcast journalist for 10 years covering health issues and breaking news.